Dexter malware steals card data from point of sale terminals

[Mousey]

A researcher has uncovered new malware that steals payment card data from point-of-sale terminals used by stores, hotels, and other businesses.

Dexter, as the malware is called, has infected hundreds of point-of-sale computers at big-name retailers, hotels, restaurants, and other businesses, according to a report issued by Aviv Raff, chief technology officer of Israel-based security firm Seculert. Businesses infected in the past three months are located in 40 different countries, with 30 percent of those compromised located in the US, 19 percent in the UK, and nine percent in Canada. Malware that infects point-of-sale terminals can be one of the most efficient ways to carry out payment card fraud because it targets machines with access to large amounts of the required data.

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edited to add: all I keep finding on the net is a repeat of this same info in the ArsTechnica artical. Seems no one can be arsed to let us poor dweebs whose cards and info are being stolen know what/which businesses are infected. Sheesh...

 

[universal4]

This why point of sale systems should NEVER be used for anything other than POS at retail outlets and restaurants around the world.

But independant tech's and even the software salespeople themselves are guilty of not understanding, let alone explaining, the risks to retailers and restaurants.

It would not be 100%, but I would venture to guess in almost all the infected cases, at least one machine on the same lan as the infected ones are used by employees for casual browsing, music downloading and social networking.

Mousey, I will keep my eyes open and if I happen to see a list posted anywhere will let you know, but the businesses affected are probably hiding behind a "privacy" policy for not releasing the information about allowing their customer's privacy to be breached.